Govt vets 81,000 for 1,662 jobs in graduate recruitment exercise
With the exercise, which started on September 16-26, 2025, only 43,123 candidates who were shortlisted were reduced to only 1,662 candidates destined to proceed to the last stage of oral interviews.
The Head of Public Service, and Secretary to Cabinet, Lucy Nakyobe and Public Service Commission members in an exam room during the interviews at Namboole. (Credit: Isaac Nuwagaba)
Graduate applicants who came to attend aptitude test checking their names in the Public Service Commission register at Namboole. (Credit: Isaac Nuwagaba)
KAMPALA - The Public Service Commission (PSC) has started vetting over 81,000 applicants vying for only 1,662 government jobs across 18 government ministries, departments and agencies.
The recruitment drive, which was advertised a fortnight ago, attracted an overwhelming response, with 81,883 applicants submitting their applications to be considered for government placements.
With the exercise, which started on September 16-26, 2025, only 43,123 candidates who were shortlisted were reduced to only 1,662 candidates destined to proceed to the last stage of oral interviews.
The public service provides a secure tenure compared to other forms of employment since appointments are on permanent terms with attractive pension schemes where retired officers continue to receive modest pay from the age of 60 till 75 years, according to head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet Lucy Nakyobe.
Desist from bribery
Addressing a section of graduate applicants who turned up for an aptitude test at Mandela National Stadium in Namboole in Wakiso district on September 25, 2025, Nakyobe warned applicants against tempting Public Service Commission officials with money, claiming to buy government jobs.
“I have been briefed by the Public Service Commission (PSC) of the competitive nature of this process, and I caution you not to pay any money for purposes of getting jobs,” she said.
“I would like to assure you that the process you are going through here is merit-based and free of any charges,” Nakyobe added.
The process of acquiring PSC jobs is free and in case anyone asks for money, please report them to my office, police, the Inspectorate of Government (IG) or the secretary and chairperson of the PSC, Nakyobe guided.
According to Nakyobe, previous recruitment processes in the public service were marred by corrupt practices, including the recruitment of unqualified individuals with forged academic documents, which the Government has been fighting for many years.
“Nepotism in government jobs is a pervasive issue that undermines the principles of meritocracy and fairness. It leads to the recruitment of unqualified individuals, often based on personal connections or bribes, rather than merit, and this must stop,” she warned.
Merit will be guiding principle
PSC chairperson Winnie Agnes Kabogoza confirmed that merit will be the guiding principle in all final selections.
The shortlisted candidates will undergo written aptitude tests followed by oral interviews before final selections are made after answering 40 questions in 40 minutes.
“To stop people from sitting for others, we cross-check their names and identity cards against their pictures, and it is the system that automatically marks them depending on the jobs applied for,” she revealed.
“At every position, we consider only 6 candidates vetted by the automatic aptitude test and the special needs candidates are given a special room and extra hours to complete their interviews,” Kabogoza noted.
However, she urged the public to give evidence-based insights against the corrupt for easy prosecution and recovery of lost assets and money.
The PSC's graduate recruitment exercise is a vital step in shaping Uganda's future human resource base. With a growing number of graduates competing for limited public service jobs, the Commission's emphasis on merit-based recruitment is crucial in ensuring that the most qualified candidates are selected for government positions.